EPTAlso, strong players who play to win semi-gang up on the leading player (robbing, trading), so though it seems that a strong lead in resource production will compound/snowball into an even more commanding lead, it's not always the case, so you have to be careful as to the strength you display.
Settlers of Catan & Cities and Knights - Page 2
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Zona
40426 Posts
Also, strong players who play to win semi-gang up on the leading player (robbing, trading), so though it seems that a strong lead in resource production will compound/snowball into an even more commanding lead, it's not always the case, so you have to be careful as to the strength you display. | ||
NeoIllusions
United States37500 Posts
Where's Kaz?! We should play Catan again. | ||
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TheGiz
Canada708 Posts
It's time we talked more about Settlers of Catan / Cities & Knights. ![[image loading]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BL27imSN_04/ST_-ij5AWzI/AAAAAAAAARU/Kwf6fBtiju4/s400/12-09-08_2310.jpg) This is what the game looks like nowadays. This is a fantastic board game. My friends and I play it at least twice per week. It's not too difficult to learn but has endless possible strategies and replay value. The board is different every time, causing the game to vary greatly in the way that it is played. Cities and Knights is a near-essential expansion that adds the perfect amount of complexity to the game. I think what I like most about the game is that you are constantly trying to build, as opposed to games like Monopoly and Risk where destruction of your opponents is the goal. The goal is to outcompete your opponents for resources and control of the board. At any point the game can change hands and someone unexpected can win, but it requires thought, timing, and strategy - not dumb luck. There is also a mild statistical element to the game (to do with dice rolls) that allows me to carry over my knowledge of Craps. How to compensate for these statistical elements greatly affects how you fare in the game, although in Cities and Knights there are ways of getting by without them. If anyone else has experience playing this game please chime in and offer strategy (especially starting positions and preferred resources). I'd also like to know what the other expansions are like (we were thinking of buying Seafarers since it complements Cities and Knights). | ||
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Wrongspeedy
United States1655 Posts
On May 26 2009 08:45 ThePhan2m wrote: This is THE BEST DAMN board game I've EVER played (Of course talking about Orig Catan ^____^). For those who might wonder if it has any similaritys with the PC game Settlers. The age and epicness is the same  but the game is totally different. I started out playing it, when my brother got it as a christmas present. There is alot of tactic and gosuness in this game. Recently I visited my brother, and we played online on http://games.asobrain.com. Really fun and interesting I've noticed. That site has ranking and all. The expansion of the game, Cities & Knights, which is an advanced version of Settlers of Catan is especally interesting. If you havent played it yet, you should test it out!![[image loading]](http://kylelibra.com/hambyblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/10273.png) Here is a small introduction how the Settlers of Catan works out. First off, this game is turned based, roll dice, do your stuff, end turn. You have 5 different resources: Bricks, Lumber, Wheat, Sheep and Ore. You create a map from these recources, and place numbers from 1-12 on each resource. You use two dices each turn to determine where rescources are produced. Each players starts out with 2 towns and 2 roads to place on the map. They gain rescources depending on what they have placed on that rescource: town(1) or a city(2). You can also trade rescources with the bank, 4:1 or 3:1 / 2:1 if you have a town or a city at a harbour card. Or with another player. With these rescources you build roads(1 lumber, 1 brick), towns(1 lumber, 1 brick, 1 wheat, 1 sheep) and cities are uppgraded from towns(3 ore, 2 wheat). Towns and Citys should be placed at numbers that are most likly to appear on the dices. (6,8) The 7, which will appear the most (statisticly) will bring another piece into the game: The Robber. He who gets 7, can then move the robber on a number and make this rescource invalid for the time the robber stays there. As well, pick a card from whoever has a town or city connected to this rescource. Also, every time 7 appears on the dices, anyone with more than 7 cards, will have to throw away half. The game consist of development cards aswell (1 wheat, 1 ore, 1 sheep). These can contain Knights (works as robber) and different special cards. (like monopoly card that gives you all of one rescource of your choseing from other players) The goal in this game, is to get the points decided during the start of each game (usually 13) You gain points from towns (1) cities (2), development cards with points (1), longest road card (2) and most knights card (2). BEFORE YOU MOVE ON. Play Settlers of Catan first. Cities and Knights is a more advanced version. Here you start out with 1 town and 1 castle. Knights are used differently, not as cards, but rather as units within your roads. You can build and uppgrade these knights with the cost of 1 sheep and 1 ore. And activate them with 1 wheat (like in Settlers 2 ^^ brewery ftw) You need these Knights to defend against barbarians that appear. Aswell as chase away robbers from closeby robbed rescouces. In order for the barbarians to appear, you have an additional dice with colors. Black(Barbarian), Yellow(Trade), Blue(Politics) and Green(Science). Whenever this dice hits black, it will be one step closer to barbarians arrival. Citys also supply you with community cards depending on your rescource fields. (1xtrade = city at sheep) (1xpolitics = city at ore) (1xscience = city at lumber) These community cards are used to uppgrade citys. 1 card for 1st uppgrade, 2 for 2nd etc. This brings us back to the new dice. Every time you uppgrade your citys, you gain dice numbers. (1st uppgrade 1 & 2 on normal dice, are activated) (2nd uppgrade, 3 etc) Each time your dice is thrown, and shows for instance [green 2 and 4] whoever who has their lumber community city card uppgraded gains a development card. These contain all kinds of crazy shit. In Cities and Knights you can also build ships (1 lumber 1 sheep, roads on water) as well as city walls(2 bricks, increase robber card limit by 2 each city wall) GOGO gl hf Sorry had to fix the OP. I love settlers, but to be honest I feel like it's a bit imbalanced. Rock is by FAR the most important resource, you pretty much need to settle one of your initial villages by a good rock source if you want to win. The entire game depends on how well you place your initial two villages- nothing else really matters. Uh there is more than one way to win. I'd argue the #'s you pick with your first placements are the most important, not even the resources. Depending on the time in the game and how you are trying to win, different resources will have different values to different players. Creates a really nice trading dynamic with more than 1 victory condition. | ||
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bonifaceviii
Canada2890 Posts
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TheGiz
Canada708 Posts
On May 21 2011 02:49 bonifaceviii wrote: Settlers of Catan is awesome and all, but it's a bitch to set up so I don't play it very often. I don't see how. Everything is random (numbers, resource hexes, ports) so all you have to do is slap it together (without 6's and 8's beside each other) and pull out the cards. Unless you play the super-fair configuration and put every number and hex where the game tells you to, you can get a game of Catan going in like 2 minutes. | ||
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Tal
United Kingdom1017 Posts
The only problem is that once you are using a few of the expansions, you can go down 'tech routes' which mean you don't have to trade with other players as much (for example rush aqueduct), which takes away a lot of the fun. Definitely worth buying though. | ||
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athief
United States85 Posts
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TheGiz
Canada708 Posts
On May 21 2011 03:15 Tal wrote: The only problem is that once you are using a few of the expansions, you can go down 'tech routes' which mean you don't have to trade with other players as much (for example rush aqueduct), which takes away a lot of the fun. Is something like this possible in Cities and Knights? What are some good strategies? What are the best starting resource combinations? Here's what I've tried so far. Brick/Wood: Allows you to contain people with your Longest Road and also build settlements but not cities unless you expand to a good spot. Aqueduct also lets you collect resources no matter what, which can be handy if you don't have too many numbers. Wheat/Ore: I usually go for this one. It allows me to get a second city quickly and/or rebuild in case the Barbarians come, but if you don't have Sheep then you're pretty screwed for defense. I also find it hard to expand this way, since I'll always seem to be missing either Brick or Wood. Mighty Knights are helpful to get one or two victory points from the Barbs and also move Robbers, but I don't find them THAT useful and would rather have one of the other two perks. 2:1 Port + X Resource: I've found this one to work pretty well since it allows you to have flexible resources at the sacrifice of a starting land hex. If you can get a lot of that one resource then it really works to your advantage, but you can often get trapped against the coast and be unable to expand favorably. 3:1 Port + Random: This one doesn't work too well, since you basically need ALL resources to be coming in at a good rate to make use of this. I think 3:1 port is something to expand to later, but not start on right away. | ||
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fush
Canada563 Posts
starting builds are just too variable, of course ports are key and it's pretty tough to win without one given you have competent opponents who knock you down throughout the game. definitely plan to survive that first pirate hit though, because losing that first city pretty much costs you the game in most cases... hence i prefer to always start with ore/sheep/wheat, and hopefully set up a port with one of my two starting blocks... it's really tough to have a set build that is "good" because of the port mechanic that pretty much gives you any resource/commodity, pretty much reading your opponent and getting those two first settlements is the most important move of the game. used to play on asobrain, but account got deleted from inactivity and now their registration is apparently closed  | ||
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Tal
United Kingdom1017 Posts
Along similar lines, the merchant tech route can allow you to bypass the other players by either stealing everything you need, or just creating the resources. When these options are combined with 2:1 ports, the possibility of expanding out to sea, and the extra 'choose one resource' that the dice replacement cards often offer, you get a strange situation where you are playing a trading game where you don't need to trade. It's still interesting, but it's a shame to lose the incredible dynamic of bullying and undercutting each other for resources. | ||
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Roffles
Pitcairn19291 Posts
Personally, I prefer the yellow card tech route, as it allows you to not only screw over others, but also trade at efficient ratios instead of having to rely on 4:1'ing or trading with others. Especially when you're winning, it's nice to have, simply because others are reluctant to trade with you if you're on top. | ||
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fush
Canada563 Posts
On May 23 2011 18:42 Roffles wrote: If you rush to Aqueduct, it's certainly worth it. Being able to draw every turn is simply too good to pass on. Unless you happen to be on tons of numbers or are simply playing to build quick settlements and establish map control, Aqueducts are the way the go. Plus, the green cards are great in helping you build up as well. But if you're getting it after establishing a couple other settlements on the board, it's pretty much worthless except for the Green card draw. Personally, I prefer the yellow card tech route, as it allows you to not only screw over others, but also trade at efficient ratios instead of having to rely on 4:1'ing or trading with others. Especially when you're winning, it's nice to have, simply because others are reluctant to trade with you if you're on top. agreed. a rush to aqueduct is good, but i think the usefulness diminishes as the game goes on or as you yourself get more settlements and numbers (unless you've managed to inventor yourself some crazy squares with limited numbers). i always prefer the yellow route as well, because there's just so much you can do without fully relying on the dev draw (the other two routes). definitely requires you to keep track of the cards in your opponents' hands though. it's just too bad that sheep has diminishing returns as well as the game drags on. | ||
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Bairemuth
United States404 Posts
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